I Miss Pluto . . .

That’s why it’s so lamentable that Pluto has been downgraded to a (I really hate to use this word) dwarf planet, even a “plutoid.” I’m shaking my head – a plutoid? Really? Those foolish earthlings at the International Astronomical Union!

See, Julia Bonatti, my protagonist in the Zodiac Mystery series is a San Francisco astrologer, and she worries about Pluto – a lot. She knows just how important the planet is and she’s rather concerned about this downgrade. Knowing that Pluto rules Scorpio and is the natural ruler of the 8th house, she fears vengeance.

Pluto was officially discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, a Kansas farmer and amateur astronomer. Astrologically, it is associated with nuclear power, the Cold War, and totalitarian states, as well as the birth of psychoanalysis when Freud and Jung began their exploration of the unconscious mind. Carl Jung was an astrologer, by the way. And believe me, a Pluto transit will definitely bring your own shadow to the fore.

Pluto rules detective work and any effort that involves digging under the surface to bring truth to light. It’s a natural for the mystery and thriller world, for astrologers and detectives, and even amateur sleuths like Julia. Given Julia’s current adventure in The Madness of Mercury, and her upcoming ones, she pretty much lives under Pluto’s sway, even if she isn’t a Scorpio. She’s constantly facing mystery and death but astrological clues save the day for her.

The planet (yes, I’m going to call Pluto a planet) is one-sixth the mass of our Moon with an extremely eccentric orbit. It takes 248 years to make a full circuit of the zodiac and spends between 15 and 26 years in each sign!

Now if you know anything at all about astrology, you’ll know that when a Pluto transit hits a sensitive point in your chart, it’s best to hide under the bed and wait oh . . . about a year . . . maybe longer . . . for it to go away. You might cry a lot. Astrologers have great respect (if not fear) of Pluto. Like Shiva, the destroyer and creator, it tears down what is no longer needed in your life. You probably won’t agree, but resistance is futile. It transforms and makes way for new growth and renewal and it’s often painful! I repeat, you might cry a lot.

I’m not alone in missing Pluto. A principal investigator with NASA’s mission to Pluto, stated that “the definition stinks . . .” Online petitions have urged the IAU to consider reinstatement and everyday citizens have also rejected the change, claiming they have always known Pluto as a planet and will continue to do so.

The California State Assembly facetiously called the IAU decision a “scientific heresy.” The New Mexico House of Representatives passed a resolution in honor of Tombaugh, its discoverer, who was a longtime resident of that state and declared that Pluto will always be considered a planet while in New Mexican skies. March 13 has been named Pluto Planet Day there. The Illinois Senate passed a similar resolution in 2009 on the basis that Tombaugh was born in Illinois.

I hope you’ll join me in honoring Pluto. It’s not always a friendly planet, but it’s essential to show your respect for the forces of death, decay and transformation.

3 Responses to I Miss Pluto . . .

One of my astrology teachers (I wish I could remember which one because she hit this nail on the head) taught me that beloved Pluto is a healing cauldron. That when Pluto transits a sign, a house, a sensitive point in the natal chart, all of the things that were pushed to the bottom of the cauldron are stirred to the surface to be healed. Whether you like it or not. And you probably won’t like it. And it will hurt. So you have the choice of dealing or suffering until it goes back to the bottom of the pot. Little bitty Pluto. Dwarf my … aunt Fanny. Good blog!

That’s absolutely true, Karen, and a very good explanation! Think of Persephone, daughter of Demeter (or Ceres, the Roman version) of the myth, who is held captive by Hades/Pluto and taken underground until the earth grows cold and Pluto must agree to release his captive for six months of the year. A psychologist would think of a Pluto transit as a journey into your own unconscious, to dredge up all the nasties you’ve buried under the carpet, to face your own shadow (as Jung would say). It may not even manifest as an “outer” event, but as an inner psychological event or epiphany. The hard aspects of a Pluto transit, such as a square (90 degrees) or an opposition (180 degrees) are really tough! Painful! Because we don’t want to face certain realities, but when they’re over, they bring new life and a clean slate and yes, definitely healing. The conjunctions of Pluto to a natal planet can be amazing and enlightening and bring new riches to that area of an individual’s life. The Astrology of Fate by Liz Greene (a scholar, a Jungian analyst, an astrologer and an absolutely brilliant writer) is all about Pluto. It’s a big thick-going to read, but you might enjoy it. And yes, dwarf? Plutoid? My aunt Fanny for sure!